Overview: Our ‘Elephant tours’ have been designed for nature-loving families. The Asian elephant has been an important part of Sri Lanka’s culture and ecology for thousands of years (10% of the world’s elephant population is concentrated in this small island). This fascinating animal provides the central focus of this holiday.

DAY 1: ARRIVE / HABARANA

On arrival at the Bandaranaike International airport, you will be warmly greeted by your very own chauffeur guide and transferred to Habarana (Approx. 4 hrs & 15 mins drive). On arrival in the hotel, spend the day at leisure relaxing and enjoying the hotel facilities.

After breakfast, proceed with an elephant back safari- Elephant Back Safaris are one of the newest and most thrilling safari experiences in Sri Lanka. This Elephant Back Safari will not only make it possible to view wildlife from the back of an elephant, but perhaps more importantly, provide the unique opportunity to share a day in the life of the elephant.

Drive to Minneriya / Kaudulla National Park (Approx. 20 minutes). Located between Habarana and Polonnaruwa, the 8890 hectares of Minneriya National Park is an ideal eco-tourism location in Sri Lanka. The park consists of mixed evergreen forest and scrub areas and is home to Sri Lanka ‘s favorites such as sambar deer and elephants. However the central feature of the park is the ancient Minneriya Tank (built in 3rd century AD by King Mahasena). During the dry season (June to September), this tank is an incredible place to observe the elephants who come to bathe and graze on the grasses as well as the huge flocks of birds (cormorants and painted storks to name a few) that come to fish in the shallow waters. During the winter season, elephants move to Kaudulla National Park.

After breakfast we drive to Kandy, en route visit Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage (approx. 4 ½ hrs drive) – The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage provides visitors with the best chance of seeing a large number of elephants at close quarters. The orphanage was established in 1975 and commenced with seven orphaned elephants. Today some of these orphans enjoy the fortune of seeing their calfs born in the same location. Assisted by local and foreign elephant experts, Pinnawala commenced a successful captive breeding program and the first baby elephant was born in 1984. It is most interesting to visit at feeding time to see the baby elephants being bottle fed and the entire herd taken for a bath thereafter to the river near by.

Arrive Kandy and check in at Cinnamon Citadel. In the afternoon you are free to explore Kandy City

After breakfast drive to Udawalawe (approx. 5hrs), En route visit Ath Athuru Sevena – ‘Ath Athuru Sevana’ is a government managed Elephant Transit Home in Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka. The baby elephants reside here were found abandoned, orphaned, sick or wounded in the jungle. They are kept and treated at this Elephant Transit Home and looked after till they are ultimately fit enough to be released back to the wild.

After breakfast, proceed to Udawalawe National Park; Udawalawe National Park is located approximately 230 km south-east of Colombo city and is a major eco-tourism destination in Sri Lanka . The 30,821 hectares dry zone game park has an annual rainfall of 1524 mm and an average temperature of 29.4°C. It is most famous for the many Elephants that live there (about 400 in total).

During your visit, it is not unusual to see whole herds of adults and young elephants – feeding or bathing and playing in the water! In addition to this main attraction, the park is home to many Water Buffalo, Water Monitor, Lizards, Sambar Deer, Monkeys and the occasional Leopard, as well as being an exciting location for Bird enthusiasts.

A 4WD open-top safari is the only way to see all the wonders that this protected reserve has to offer and our experienced and knowledgeable nature guides will make this an unforgettable experience.

After breakfast, proceed to Ampara (pprox.. 3 ½ hrs) and check in at Monty Hotel (Standard guest house type accommodation) Proceed with a boat safari at Gal Oya National Park – The Gal Oya National Park is the only National Park in Sri Lanka where it is possible to take a boat safari. As it borders a reservoir, there are many little islands which can be seen. A highlight is the frequent sighting of elephants swimming from one island to another. Sri Lankan Elephants are strong swimmers and they use their trunks as snorkels. They can also travel long distances in the water. In fact, it is believed that the first elephants to inhabit Sri Lanka actually swam all the way from India and took up residence on the island